1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a tractor-drawn direct seed sowing apparatus for sowing seeds such as seed rice, etc. in unplowed fields.
2. Prior Art
The Japanese Utility Model Application Publication ("Kokoku") No. 50-37287 assigned to the assignee of this United States patent application discloses one of the apparatuses for sowing seeds such as seed rice, etc. in unplowed fields. This conventional seed sowing apparatus is shown in FIG. 7.
The main frame 1 of the sowing apparatus includes front and rear (or drive) wheels 2 and 3, and a handle 4 mounted to the rear portion of the main frame 1. The rear wheels 3 are driven by an engine 5. Claw wheels 6 are provided on the front portion of the main frame 1 so that they make sowing furrows in the ground. The claw wheels 6 rotate in the direction opposite from the rotational direction of the rear wheels 3. In other words, the claw wheels 6 rotate opposite to the traveling direction of the sowing vehicle. In addition, a guide cover 7 is installed above the claw wheels so that the soil thrown up by the claw wheels 6 is guided behind. A seed tank 8a that has a seed feeder 8b is installed on the main frame 1, and the seed feeder 8b has a seed-drop 8c with its bottom opened behind the claw wheels 6.
The apparatus described above is an engine-driven "walking" type sowing apparatus and has good working characteristics and efficiency in small-sized unplowed fields. Recently, however, the scale of cultivated areas has increased greatly, and as a result the demand for efficient, energy-saving farm equipment has grown greater than before.